Sleep

[Flatwhite32]

Hi everyone. I have a ten month old DD who wakes every day now at 5am. We have tried everything, but she just won't sleep later. She sleeps through until then, so this wouldn't be bad if it wasn't for my own sleep. The problem is that I keep waking in the night (eg 1am, 3am) dreading/thinking about her waking at 5am, then I can't get back to sleep. I then finally get back to sleep, then she's awake at 5. We can't leave her as we live in a flat and got a noise complaint. I've now reached breaking point with exhaustion and am depressed because I'm so tired. I am back to work in 4 weeks and don't know how I'm going to function feeling like this. DH leaves for work at 7 then gets back from work after she's in bed, so I do all the day to day care in the week apart from her morning bottle. He has been great and taken her at weekends, but I just can't get back to sleep. Would sleeping tablets from the GP work? I'm starting to feel depressed because of this which is really unlike me. If I could sleep through til 5 that would be great, but I just can't .

[loveyoutothemoon]

Black out blind? When mine were little I used to shove everything I could find up at the window to block the light, like dark blankets etc.
What's the latest time in the day that she eats? Maybe give her last meal later.

[Flatwhite32]

We've got one @loveyoutothemoon. Thank you though. She doesn't eat very much as I do think that's part of the problem, but we can't force food down her. She's so grumpy every morning now as she's tired. It's so draining.

[hormonesorDHbeingadick]

When you back to work or now in preparation you need to start doing 50/50 morning wake ups. If DH is getting up with baby at 5 then you don’t.

Try adding in a mid morning and mid afternoon snack.

Herbal nightol has helped me sleep in the past.

[Msfoxy17]

Oh gosh I feel your pain (although afraid I don't have any advice).
We have an 18 month old - has never really slept well but a couple of months ago we finally transitioned from her waking up at least twice (usually around 1am and 3aml for a duration of up to 3 hours in total, to now waking up at 4am or 5am, and refusing to go back to sleep. It's exhausting.. Hope it gets betters for you.

[ChampooPapi]

Honestly this seems a normal phase with many 9-12 month olds. Hang in there! My two did this and by 11 months ish they started sleeping through till 6 thirty/7.

Those 5am starts were brutal but I wouldn't mess with the routine if sleeping through till then, just wait it out

[Flatwhite32]

Thank you ladies! I am feeling a bit better today as I've been going to bed really early, so waking at 5/half 5 isn't too bad. I've also started drinking chamomile tea and I've been waking less in the night. It could be a coincidence, but I'm going to keep drinking it. I just have to hope DD's 5/half 5 wake ups are a phase!

[ChampooPapi]

@Flatwhite32 this is definitely the way, it's only a short time but we did it too just going to bed around half 7/8 and asleep by 9. This is the key to these periods, just survival mode really where me and my partner just put our family first, cancelled anything social and just hermitted for those months.

It really is a phase, I know someone else will come on and say 'well my 2 year old always wakes up at 4am!' but on the whole that just isn't normal for human beings!

One morning you'll all wake at 7 and feel like thats normal wthin a few days, just keep trucking and it'll pass soon